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| 2 | %%Page moved here as per thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13661754000A77834800. Do not remove without discussion. |
| 3 | %%% |
| 4 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mega_man_classic.png]] |
| 5 | [[caption-width-right:350:The Original [[FanNickname Blue Bomber]].]] |
| 6 | ->[[AC:[=MegaMan=] has ended the evil domination of Dr. Wily and restored the world to peace. however, the never ending battle continues until all destructive forces are defeated. Fight, [=MegaMan=]! For everlasting peace!]] |
| 7 | -->-- '''Ending of ''VideoGame/MegaMan1''''' |
| 8 | |
| 9 | This page covers the original ''Mega Man'' (''[[MarketBasedTitle Rockman]]''/''ãƒãƒƒã‚¯ãƒžãƒ³'') series, generally referred to as the "Classic Series." When people think "Franchise/MegaMan", they usually think of this version, which makes "Classic" Mega Man one of the two big faces of Creator/{{Capcom}} (alongside [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ryu]]). |
| 10 | |
| 11 | [[YearX In the year 20XX]], Dr. Thomas Light -- a scientist well known for his innovative contributions to the world of robotics -- creates a new breed of humanoid robots called Robot Masters. These Robot Masters are revolutionary for their ability to make advanced independent decisions according to their programming, and as such, they are put to work directing other non-independent robots. [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter Fed up with living under his colleague's shadow]], Dr. Albert Wily reprogrammed six (or eight, if [[VideoGame/MegaManPoweredUp the remake]] is to be believed) of these Robot Masters and turned them into weapons of mass destruction to help him [[TakeOverTheWorld conquer the world]]. While gathering these Robot Masters, Wily ignored two housecleaning robots: the boyish Rock and his sister Roll. Feeling a strong sense of justice, Rock asked Dr. Light to convert him into a battle robot -- and the conversion gave the world a hero: Mega Man. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | After the successful conversion, Mega Man traveled around the world to stop the rogue Robot Masters. Rock's ability to analyze how things work and duplicate them gave him the [[PowerCopying ability]] to acquire the weapons of the fallen Robot Masters. After defeating the six rogue robots, Mega Man stormed Wily's [[SupervillainLair robot factory]] and defeated him. Wily's persistence would lead him to attempt the same plan -- and defeat Mega Man -- [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption twenty-one different times, none of which were successful]]. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | While in its planning stages, a small team within Capcom, including the franchise's producer, Creator/KeijiInafune, took their love for several Japanese television and manga heroes (most notably ''Anime/AstroBoy'') and created a game where the player could feel like one of their heroes. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | The first game introduced attacks and strategies to platform gaming revolving around the concept of [[ElementalRockPaperScissors rock-paper-scissors]]: each weapon a player acquires might work well on one particular Robot Master, but horribly (or not at all) against another. ''Mega Man'' also introduced the concept of allowing players to choose what stage they wanted to tackle and in what order (before having to go through a linear gauntlet of Wily stages) -- a first for platform games. In spite of these two major innovations, the title failed to make an impact. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | While the first game sold well enough, Capcom didn't want to give the Blue Bomber another chance, and it soon assigned the game's development team to other games. Not wanting to give up on the character, the development team begged the higher-ups for permission to make a sequel that would improve upon both the faults and the strengths of the first game. Capcom allowed the team to make a second game so long as they finished the titles they were already assigned to. When Capcom released ''Mega Man 2'', it became a monster hit, both critically and financially. The more ambitious stage design, improved graphics, and even catchier music blew away gamers; for these (and other) reasons, numerous ''Mega Man'' fans think of ''2'' as the best game in the series -- a sentiment Keiji Inafune himself agrees with. Thanks to the sequel's incredible sales and warm critical reception, Capcom realized ''Mega Man'' could become a CashCowFranchise, and happily greenlit sequel after sequel, leading to one of the most popular series of MediaNotes/The8bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | Capcom has, to date, published twelve main games in this series: six for the Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem (re-releasing later on the first three as a 16-Bit compilation for the [[Platform/SegaGenesis Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]]), two for the Platform/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, one for the Platform/SegaSaturn and Sony Platform/PlayStation, two as downloadable games for the Platform/{{Wii}}, Platform/PlayStation3, Platform/{{Xbox 360}} and one on Platform/NintendoSwitch, Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/XboxOne, and PC. Capcom and Creator/IntiCreates designed ''9'' and ''10'' as [[{{Retraux}} throwbacks to the NES titles]]; their graphics and audio simulating the system's 8-bit hardware, while the gameplay emulated the gameplay of the original NES games. The company also published a series of ''Mega Man'' games for the Platform/GameBoy, based mainly on the NES games, and another two games for arcades; adding the various {{Gaiden Game}}s elevates the "Classic" series into the largest continuity of the entire franchise. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | [[MissionPackSequel Despite the sequels tending to feel similar to each other]], the series as a whole remains enjoyable -- and [[NintendoHard very hard]] -- to this day. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | The generally lighthearted, friendly atmosphere of the classic series tends to stick out like a sore thumb compared to its two DarkerAndEdgier SequelSeries, ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' and ''VideoGame/MegaManZero''. While in its [[SequelGap seven-year dormancy]][[note]]''Mega Man 10'' was released in 2010, while ''Mega Man 11'' wasn't announced until 2017[[/note]], the Classic series gained a SpiritualSuccessor in the form of ''VideoGame/MightyNo9'', created by Creator/KeijiInafune after leaving Capcom in 2010. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Trope-wise, the first Mega Man games were the major contributors of popularizing some of the stage hazards such as SpikesOfDoom, and popularizing some VideoGameSettings such as having ice- and fire-themed level in the same game. |
| 28 | ---- |
| 29 | !!Games in the Series: |
| 30 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 31 | |
| 32 | [[index]] |
| 33 | [[folder:Main Games]] |
| 34 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan1'' (1987, [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]]) |
| 35 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'' (1988, NES): Best-selling of the original games. Introduced eight Robot Masters per game instead of the first game's six, E-Tanks, and the password system. |
| 36 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'' (1990, NES): Debut of Rush and Proto Man. Introduced the [[VideoGameSliding slide move]]. |
| 37 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan4'' (1991, NES): Debut of Eddie (a.k.a. "Flip-Top"). Introduced the [[ChargedAttack Charged Shot]] and the Wily Capsule. |
| 38 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan5'' (1992, NES): Debut of Beat. |
| 39 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan6'' (1993, NES): Introduced the Rush Adaptors. |
| 40 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan7'' (1995, [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]]): Debut of Auto, Bass and Treble. |
| 41 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan8'' (1996, Platform/PlayStation, Platform/SegaSaturn): Made to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the franchise. The first game to ditch passwords in favor of save files. |
| 42 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'' (1998, SNES, Platform/GameBoyAdvance): One of the last SNES games ever released. First main series game where Bass is playable. While the SNES version got stuck in Japan[[note]]the system had already finished its run in the US and Europe in the previous year[[/note]], it did get a GBA port worldwide in 2003. Additionally, while not a numbered entry, the game is considered part of the main series as seen in ''Mega Man 9''. The game is also internally referred to as ''Rockman 8.5''. |
| 43 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' (2008, Platform/{{Wii}}, Platform/PlayStation3, Platform/Xbox360): [[{{Retraux}} Intentionally made in 8-bit style]], as a throwback to the original 6 games. [[BagOfSpilling Also, the Slide and Charge Shot were removed]] (for Mega Man, anyway -- and thankfully, the levels were designed with those exact limitations in mind). Proto Man is made playable for the first time in a main title as [[DownloadableContent DLC]] and retains all of the abilities Mega Man lost. Notable for introducing the first and only (canonical) ''[[TheSmurfettePrinciple female]]'' enemy Robot Master in the form of Splash Woman. Developed by Creator/IntiCreates, along with its immediate sequel. |
| 44 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'' (2010, Wii, [=PS3=], Xbox 360): Similar to ''9'' in style and tone. Proto Man is PromotedToPlayable in the base game, while Bass (functioning as he did in ''Mega Man & Bass'') receives his own storyline as DLC. |
| 45 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan11'' (2018, Platform/NintendoSwitch, Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/XboxOne, Platform/MicrosoftWindows): Released for the franchise's 30th anniversary. Uses a TwoAndAHalfD artstyle and introduces the concept of the Double Gear System which encourages the use of overpowered attacks (Power Gear) and space-time control (Speed Gear). |
| 46 | [[/folder]] |
| 47 | |
| 48 | [[folder:Game Boy Games (aka ''"Rockman World"'' series)]] |
| 49 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManDrWilysRevenge'' (1990, Platform/GameBoy): Features four of the Robot Masters from the first NES game, and four from the second. |
| 50 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManII'' (1991, Game Boy): Has the remaining four Robot Masters from ''2'' NES, and four from ''3'' NES, along with bringing in E-Tanks, Rush, and the slide. The only Game Boy game to be developed by Biox instead of Minakuchi Engineering. |
| 51 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManIII'' (1992, Game Boy): Features the remaining ''3'' NES Robot Masters, and four from ''4'' NES. Also introduced the Charge Shot to the Game Boy line. |
| 52 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManIV'' (1993, Game Boy): Features the remaining four ''4'' NES Robot Masters, and four from ''5'' NES. Introduces a currency system as well as a shop, which later found its way into the main series with ''7''. |
| 53 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManV'' (1994, Game Boy): In a complete break from the previous four games, has a completely original storyline and an all-new set of Robot Masters themed around the planets of the Solar System known as "Stardroids". Was the only game to feature the [[RocketPunch Mega Arm]], which was effectively the same as the previous Charge Shot but with a boomerang effect. Debut of Tango. |
| 54 | [[/folder]] |
| 55 | |
| 56 | [[folder:Other Handheld Games]] |
| 57 | * ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man|GameGear}}'' (1995, Platform/GameGear): A condensed version of ''5'', with elements of ''4'' and ''2'' mashed in. Developed by a small company known as Freestyle, and never released outside North America. |
| 58 | * ''VideoGame/RockmanAndForteMiraiKaraNoChosensha''[[note]]''Challenger From the Future''[[/note]] (1999, Platform/WonderSwan): A follow-up to ''Mega Man & Bass''. Developed by Creator/{{Bandai|NamcoEntertainment}}, and Japan-only, due to the [=WonderSwan=] not making it anywhere else. |
| 59 | [[/folder]] |
| 60 | |
| 61 | [[folder:Spin-off Games]] |
| 62 | * ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man|DOS}}'' (1990, DOS): An early PC game starring Mega Man, infamous for its one-man development team, low quality, and its InNameOnly relation to the original game. |
| 63 | * ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man 3|DOS}}'' (1992, DOS): A follow-up, curiously skipping ''2''. Infamous for the same reasons as the first game. |
| 64 | * ''[[VideoGame/WilyAndLightsRockBoardThatsParadise Wily & Light's RockBoard: That's Paradise]]'' (1993, [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom]]): A ''TabletopGame/{{Monopoly}}''-themed PartyGame featuring various series characters released only in Japan (although a English release, entitled ''Mega Board'', [[http://www.rockman-corner.com/2010/03/rockboard-in-english.html was in the works before it was canned for unknown reasons]]). Marks the first appearance of Reggae, a creation of Wily's best described as Bass' answer to Eddie and Beat. Also had a Game Boy port in the works that was cancelled, though a prototype was eventually found. |
| 65 | * ''[[VideoGame/MegaMansSoccer Mega Man's Soccer]]'' (1994, SNES): ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin; a [[SportsGame soccer competition]] between Mega Man and Wily's various Robot Masters. According to ''[[AllThereInTheManual Mega Man: Official Complete Works]]'', the game is set after the events of ''Mega Man 4''. |
| 66 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManThePowerBattle'' (1995, Arcade): Mega Man's arcade debut, basically being a BossGame. First game where Bass and Proto Man are playable. |
| 67 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan2ThePowerFighters'' (1996, Arcade): Similar to the previous one. Technical debut of Duo, by virtue of EarlyBirdCameo. |
| 68 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleAndChase'' (1997, [=PS1=]): A MascotRacer with Mega Man and co. Initially not released in North America, but was brought over via the ''VideoGame/MegaManX [[CompilationRerelease Collection]]''. Duo was also playable in this game, either through a special promotional CD in ''Dengeki [=PlayStation=]'' magazine in the Japanese version or beating the Black Troopers in the European version. |
| 69 | * ''VideoGame/SuperAdventureRockman'' (1998, [=PS1=], Saturn): An [[InteractiveMovie FMV]]-based AdventureGame with RailShooter bits sandwiched in between. Was not released outside Japan, and Inafune himself disowned the game due to its [[DarkerAndEdgier excessively dark tone]]. |
| 70 | * ''[[VideoGame/RockmansIQChallenge Rockman's IQ Challenge]]'' (1998, Windows): A Taiwan-only multimedia EdutainmentGame featuring {{puzzle|Game}}s, a board game with quiz elements, a virtual coloring book and typing exercises. |
| 71 | * ''VideoGame/RockmanGoldEmpire'' (1999, Windows): Another Taiwan-only entry, not unlike ''[=RockBoard=]'' in nature. |
| 72 | * ''VideoGame/RockmanStrategy'' (2001, Windows): The third and final Taiwan-only game, this time being a StrategyGame featuring the Constellation Droids, a group of Robot Masters based on the twelve signs of the WesternZodiac. Introduces [[CanonForeigner a new ally]] to the Blue Bomber, Fan. |
| 73 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManUniverse'' ({{Canceled|VideoGames}}, Xbox 360, [=PS3=]): Based heavily on the second game, this TwoAndAHalfD action-platformer would have allowed players to [[LevelEditor build their own stages]] and [[CharacterCustomization customize their individual characters]]. Additionally, this would have been the first title in the series to go by the name ''Mega Man'' in Japan (as opposed to ''Rockman''). |
| 74 | [[/folder]] |
| 75 | |
| 76 | [[folder:Remakes and Re-Releases]] |
| 77 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManTheWilyWars'' (1994, [[Platform/SegaGenesis Genesis/Mega Drive]]): A CompilationRerelease of the first three games with 16-bit graphics and sound, as well as a save feature and an all-new "Wily Tower" game when all three games are completed. Only released in Europe and Japan initially, although it did get a brief Sega Channel release in North America, and was eventually released there officially as one of the featured titles on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Mini Platform/PlugnPlayGame console for all regions. |
| 78 | * ''VideoGame/RockmanCompleteWorks'' (1999, [=PS1=]): A Japan-only series of six separate games which ported all six of the NES ''Mega Man'' titles to the [=PS1=], with optional remixed music and bonus content, including a "Navi Mode" where characters give players tips as they progress through stages. |
| 79 | * ''[[VideoGame/RockmanBattleAndFighters Rockman Battle & Fighters]]'' (2000, Platform/NeoGeoPocket Color): An 8-bit handheld port of the two arcade games. |
| 80 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManAnniversaryCollection'' (2004, Platform/PlayStation2, [[Platform/NintendoGameCube GameCube]], Platform/{{Xbox}}): Brings together the first eight games with some of the features of the ''Complete Works'' imported, plus the two arcade games (''The Power Battle'' and ''The Power Fighters'') as unlockable bonuses. This compilation got stuck in North America. |
| 81 | * ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man Anniversary Collection|GBA}}'' (GBA; Cancelled): A collection of the five Platform/GameBoy ''Mega Man'' games was planned, but was ultimately scrapped, presumably due to them [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup losing the source codes to some of the games]]. |
| 82 | * ''VideoGame/RockmanPowerBattleFighters'' (2004, [=PS2=]): A Japan-only port of the two arcade games as compensation for ''Anniversary Collection'' not leaving North America. It adds to both games a Versus mode and an Extreme mode where players [[BossRush marathon through all of a given game's bosses in a single run]]. Also has the English versions of the games as unlockables. |
| 83 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManPoweredUp'' (2006, Platform/PlayStationPortable): An updated (and SuperDeformed) [[VideoGameRemake remake]] of the original game, with fully playable Robot Masters and bonus content thrown in that will take you months to chew through, including a LevelEditor and 100 challenge stages. Marks the first (and only) playable appearance of Roll in a platformer, as DLC. |
| 84 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManLegacyCollection'' (2015, Xbox One, [=PS4=], Windows, Platform/Nintendo3DS, Switch): Along with the first six games in the series, includes a SoundTest, ConceptArtGallery, and special challenges. The [=3DS=] version is a port of the console version, which includes the initial Capcom-designed challenges as well as top user submitted challenges unlocked using the Mega Man Toys/{{amiibo}}; the Switch version also has this feature. |
| 85 | * ''VideoGame/MegaManLegacyCollection2'' (2017, Xbox One, [=PS4=], Windows, Switch): A follow-up to the previous ''Legacy Collection'' that continues the Blue Bomber's adventures with ''7'', ''8'', ''9'', and ''10'' - with the latter two games' [=DLC=] bundled for no additional cost and all the bonuses that the first ''Legacy Collection'' came with. Marks the first time that ''9'' and ''10'' can be purchased in a physical format. The Switch version also makes use of amiibo support to unlock new challenges. ''Mega Man & Bass'' is absent. |
| 86 | [[/folder]] |
| 87 | |
| 88 | [[folder:Crossover Games]] |
| 89 | * ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfSuperHeroes'' (1998, Arcade, [=PS1=], Platform/SegaDreamcast): Mega Man and Roll are playable characters in this fifth installment of the ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' series. |
| 90 | * ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2'' (2000, Arcade, Dreamcast, [=PS2=], [=PS3=], Xbox 360): And likewise, in the sixth installment. |
| 91 | * ''VideoGame/CannonSpike'' (2000, Arcade, Dreamcast): Mega Man is a playable character in this top-down ShootEmUp and BeatEmUp [[GenreMashup hybrid]]. |
| 92 | * ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'' (2008, Arcade, Wii): Roll is a playable character in this ''Marvel vs. Capcom'' off-shoot. |
| 93 | * ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXMegaMan'' (2012, Microsoft Windows): A joint-milestone celebration recognizing both ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' and ''Mega Man''[='=]s 25th anniversaries. Was originally a FanGame, but it caught the eye of Capcom and [[AscendedFanFic was officially endorsed by them]]. |
| 94 | * ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'' (2012, PC, [=PS3=], [[Platform/PlayStationVita PS Vita]], Xbox 360): Mega Man makes a playable appearance as VersionExclusiveContent for the [=PlayStation=] versions, this time based off of his appearance on the infamous North American cover art of the first NES game, now commonly referred to as "Bad Box Art Mega Man". |
| 95 | * ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series: Mega Man is a GuestFighter as of the fourth installment of Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s fighting game series. |
| 96 | ** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' (2014, 3DS, Platform/WiiU) |
| 97 | ** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' (2018, Switch) |
| 98 | * ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsXOmega'' (2015, iOS, Android): Mega Man, Proto Man and Bass were TemporaryOnlineContent playable characters during a January 2018 event. |
| 99 | * ''VideoGame/DragaliaLost'' (2018, iOS, Android): Mega Man was a TemporaryOnlineContent playable character during a November 2019 event. |
| 100 | [[/folder]] |
| 101 | [[/index]] |
| 102 | |
| 103 | ---- |
| 104 | !!This series is the {{Trope Namer|s}} for: |
| 105 | * EmergencyEnergyTank: The only numbered games in the Classic series to not use them were ''1'' and ''8''. The developers behind ''7'' admitted they couldn't beat the FinalBoss without using at least one. There are a few variations... |
| 106 | ** '''Energy Tank (E-Tank):''' Restores all of your HitPoints. |
| 107 | ** '''Weapon Tank (W-Tank):''' Restores all of the energy to a selected Special Weapon/Item. In ''[[VideoGame/MegaMan7 7]]'''s case, it restores the energy of all Special Weapons/Items at once. |
| 108 | ** '''Super Tank/Mystery Tank (S-Tank/M-Tank):''' Restores all of your HP and the energy of all your Special Weapons/Items. The M-Tank is only different from the S-Tank in that it turns all weak enemies on-screen into extra lives if your HP and all weapon/item energy is already at 100%; if you meet the HP/energy requirements but there are no weak enemies on-screen, you are automatically given a single extra life. |
| 109 | * MagmaMan |
| 110 | * PowerCopying: [[Administrivia/RenamedTropes Previously known as Mega Manning.]] |
| 111 | ---- |
| 112 | !! The ''Mega Man'' "Classic" series provides examples of the following tropes: |
| 113 | |
| 114 | [[folder:A-I]] |
| 115 | * AdvancedMovementTechnique: Starting with [[VideoGame/MegaMan3 the third game]] (which introduced the move), Mega Man's [[VideoGameSliding slide]], when chained into itself with proper timing, is faster than regular walking. As a result, speedrunners for these games slide almost everywhere instead of walking. |
| 116 | * AlienEpisode: Both ''VideoGame/MegaManV'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan8'' feature alien robots arriving to Earth, with Dr. Wily abusing the power of one or more of them for world domination. |
| 117 | * AllThereInTheManual: Many interesting facts about the Robot Masters are actually found in the manuals, or other outside materials. For example: Did you know Shadow Man from ''3'' is actually a robot rumored to be alien in origin that Dr. Wily found and remodeled into a Robot Master? Or that he rides a giant robotic frog? |
| 118 | * AnimalMecha: Every single weird flora and fauna is apparently made up of robots. |
| 119 | * AnimatedAdaptation: |
| 120 | ** [[WesternAnimation/MegaManRubySpears A cartoon that ran from 1994 to 1995.]] |
| 121 | ** Prior to that, classic Mega Man starred alongside other Platform/{{NES}} icons in the MassiveMultiplayerCrossover cartoon ''WesternAnimation/CaptainNTheGameMaster'', where they [[InNameOnly looked nothing like their illustrious namesakes]]. |
| 122 | * ArmCannon: The TropeCodifier for the Type 1 ("Arm Becomes Gun") version among video games. |
| 123 | * ArtEvolution: The character designs in the official art were initially doughy before this trope kicked in and made them sleeker. |
| 124 | * AstroClone: ''Mega Man'' features a range of characters heavily inspired by ''Manga/AstroBoy'' characters. Rock, better known as Mega Man, is very Astro-looking when his hat is off. He's a RobotKid created by the Ochanomizu-looking Dr. Light. Mega Man has many of Astro's powers (though he had an ArmCannon ''before'' Astro), but the main villain Dr. Wily resembles Dr. Tenma. |
| 125 | * BagOfSpilling: Don't expect Mega Man to remember any of the moves he copied from Robot Masters in previous installments or any of the side upgrades like the Super Arrow or the Magnet Beam - he starts each game with only the Mega Buster and that's it. Rush similarly forgets how to do anything other than act like a springboard in his post-''Mega Man 3'' appearances. In ''Mega Man 9'', he's forgotten how to slide after being able to do so since ''3'' and his Mega Buster stops being able to charge up for the first time since ''4''. |
| 126 | * TheBattleDidntCount: Bass never explodes like other defeated bosses do, instead surviving with 1 HP and teleporting away. He's not the only one, either; Ballade in ''VideoGame/MegaManIV'' and Buster Rod G in ''Mega Man: The Wily Wars'' did it before him (but both are put down in a second battle). |
| 127 | * {{Blackground}}: All of the 8-bit games employ this trope when facing off against bosses in Dr. Wily's fortress, as well as against some large enemies found in earlier stages. The reason is the same in both cases: the large sprites can take advantage of using the blank "transparent" color for their line art, without worrying about what the player may or may not be able to see through it. |
| 128 | * BlockingStopsAllDamage: Many of Mega Man's enemies can take a defensive posture that cannot be punctured. Some games allow certain special weapons to pierce these, however. |
| 129 | * BombardierMook: Pipis are robotic birds that carry and drop eggs that, if they hit the ground, break into eight or so mini-birds, which then fly at Mega Man. |
| 130 | * BossOnlyLevel: The penultimate and/or final level of the games are usually this. |
| 131 | * BottleEpisode: The Game Gear game simply reuses content from the 2nd, 4th, and 5th NES games of the series. |
| 132 | * BottomlessPit: It's honestly faster to list the levels in the entire series that ''don't'' feature these at some point - and even most of those (such as the first and last Wily stages in ''Mega Man 1'') feature plenty of SpikesOfDoom to provide the same "death upon failure" result. Not surprisingly, they feature most prominently in levels involving Robot Masters that are aerial-themed, especially if their powers aim to BlowYouAway like Air Man or Wind Man. |
| 133 | * BrainwashedAndCrazy: As a general rule, if a Robot Master or minor enemy isn't directly created by Dr. Wily himself, they're usually someone else's creation that he's stolen and/or reprogrammed for his own ends. |
| 134 | * CanonDiscontinuity: The PC ''Mega Man'' and ''Mega Man 3'', if the official timelines are anything to go by. Of course, this is assuming they ever were {{canon}} in the first place. |
| 135 | * {{Cloneopoly}}: ''Mega Man'' got his own Japan-only game called as ''Wily & Right no [=RockBoard=]: That's Paradise'' (usually known just as ''[=RockBoard=]''), which is the seventh game released for the NES and the first spin-off game of the series and the franchise (followed later for the SNES' ''Mega Man Soccer''), which is basically a TabletopGame/{{Monopoly}} version of Mega Man, where you can play with Mega Man as well with the {{NPC}}s of the series until then as Dr. Light, Dr. Wily, Roll, Dr. Cossack and Kalinka. Another ''Monopoly'' clone, ''Rockman Gold Empire'', would later be released for Windows only in Taiwan. |
| 136 | * CollisionDamage: A series staple. The many different kinds of enemies (and bosses) dish out more damage than others. Some will poke off just a little bit of health, while others can take ''over a third'' of your life bar (usually larger enemies and bosses). |
| 137 | * CraniumRide: Some levels in some games require you to use enemies as platforms. |
| 138 | * CuteMachines: These are all over the place, from protagonists like Mega Man, Roll and Proto Man to some of the Robot Masters like Ice Man. Some enemies even qualify, like the Mets. |
| 139 | * DamselInDistress: Kalinka, Dr. Cossack's daughter, is kidnapped in ''Mega Man 4'', and Roll is kidnapped in one of the scenarios in ''Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters''. |
| 140 | * DamnYouMuscleMemory: ''Legacy Collection'' is hit pretty hard with this in the timed challenges. Some of the challenges include level snippets from different games - this means that you can go one screen with the charge and slide, and the next without, and there's no indication of if you have the charge and slide other than manually checking. Better be able to quickly figure out which tilesets belong to which game... |
| 141 | * DemotedToExtra: There is exactly ''one'' game in the classic Mega Man series where Dr. Wily is not fought ''and'' isn't even the villain of the game; the obscure Wonderswan game ''Rockman and Forte: Challenger From The Future''. The villain is Rockman Shadow, who may have been ''built'' by Wily, but he's completely acting of his own accord and ''wants'' Mega Man and Bass to destroy him. Wily doesn't appear at all in-game, and is only mentioned in passing [[AllThereInTheManual in the manual.]] |
| 142 | * DenialOfDiagonalAttack: Mega Man's default Mega Buster only lets him shoot straight ahead, with multidirectional attacks often reserved for Special Weapons. Averted with Bass in ''Mega Man & Bass'' and ''Mega Man 10'', who can aim in multiple directions with his default weapon. |
| 143 | * DownTheDrain: At least one level per game is going to feature at least some portion where Mega Man is submerged. Since he is a robot, he doesn't have to worry about drowning; he instead has drastically improved jumps (with even more SpikesOfDoom lining every possible surface, to keep you from abusing absurd jumps). {{Subverted|Trope}} in ''5'' -- the expected KillItWithWater Robot Master, Wave Man, doesn't feature any underwater portions at all. |
| 144 | * DramaticThunder: Often featured on the Wily Castle map screens (and some other fortresses) after the fanfare ends. |
| 145 | * EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: There are features in this game that would make an oddity to entries centuries later. |
| 146 | ** As displayed by Roll and Mega Man (in his civilian form), the human-like androids have human ears despite being ''much'' less advanced compared to their successors (Reploids). |
| 147 | ** This is the only series to introduce extraterrestrial beings, with Stadroids, Shadow Man, Duo and the Evil Energy representing them. The ''X'', ''Zero'', ''ZX'', and ''Legends'' series completely omit them, with the first former being the last to reference aliens (X's perfect anti-virus countermeasures was developed in response to a virus of alien origin). |
| 148 | * ElementalRockPaperScissors: Present in all games, in one big cycle that involves all Robot Masters in each game, except for ''3'' which has two cycles, one that has five bosses, and another with the remaining three; and ''8'', with two cycles of four bosses each. |
| 149 | * EndlessGame: Endless Attack in ''9'' and ''10'', which score you on how many screens you get through. |
| 150 | * EnemyRollCall: Every game since ''2'' does this with the game's Robot Masters, as well as showing their serial numbers. ''9'', ''11'', and the first three Game Boy games also showcase the minor enemies and minibosses (though both ''9'' and ''11'' omit their names). |
| 151 | * EquipmentBasedProgression: The entire point of the series was to acquire new weapons from one boss to take down the next. Since you could fight them in any order, the trick was discovering the optimum sequence to fight them in. |
| 152 | * EvilPlan: Dr. Wily is no slouch at scheming: |
| 153 | ** ''Mega Man'': Stealing 6 advanced robots from Dr. Light's hands and turning them against him. Also, using said robots for his first attempt at world domination. |
| 154 | ** ''Mega Man 2'': Putting his obtained knowledge of creating his own Robot Masters to use. Also, trying to take revenge against the Blue Bomber. |
| 155 | ** ''Mega Man 3'': Pretending to be a nice guy and joining Dr. Light once again to help him in the construction of the gigantic peacekeeping robot Gamma. Also, stealing said robot from under Light's nose (again). |
| 156 | ** ''Mega Man: The Wily Wars'': Deciding to return back to the past and improve upon his mistakes. Also, building a new bunch of Robot Masters for Mega Man to fight. |
| 157 | ** ''Mega Man 4'': Blackmailing another good doctor - Dr. Cossack - to do his bidding after kidnapping his daughter. Also, using Cossack's Robot Masters to give Mega Man yet another hard time. |
| 158 | ** ''Mega Man 5'': Using Proto Man's imposter to kidnap Dr. Light. |
| 159 | ** ''Mega Man V (Game Boy)'': Using advanced alien robots called Stardroids to... you already know. |
| 160 | ** ''Mega Man 6'': Disguising himself as Mr. X - an eccentric, mysterious billionaire who hosts the Robot Masters Annual Tournament. Also, snatching 8 finalists out of said tournament to use in his further plans. |
| 161 | ** ''Mega Man 7'': Breaking out of jail and using his best creation - Bass - to steal some of Dr. Light's upgrades meant for Mega Man. |
| 162 | ** ''Mega Man 8'': Obtaining the samples of Evil Energy and using it to empower his robots. |
| 163 | ** ''Mega Man & Bass'': Controlling the self-proclaimed "King of the Robots" from the shadows. |
| 164 | ** ''Mega Man 9'': Framing Dr. Light for the recent rampage of Robot Masters. Also, reprogramming said Robot Masters while [[VillainHasAPoint convincing them that they're still useful even after their expiration dates passed]]... but for the purpose of fighting against humans rather than aiding them. |
| 165 | ** ''Mega Man 10'': Creating the Roboenza Virus to plunge the entire world into chaos. Also, again pretending to be a nice guy while "working" on his medicine-making machine. |
| 166 | ** ''Mega Man 11'': Implementing the Double Gear System and messing around with any Robot Masters who have it in their systems. |
| 167 | * ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: |
| 168 | ** Every Robot Master's name follows the formula: their theme + (Wo)Man. Their theme also references what kind of weapon they have, most of the time. |
| 169 | ** Guess what the Mega Man Killers were created to do? |
| 170 | * {{Fanfare}}: The ones heard on the Robot Master intro screens, the fortress map screens, and for beating a stage. |
| 171 | * FanGame: A ''lot'' of them, including (just to name a few): ''VideoGame/MegaManRocks'' by Eric Ruth, ''VideoGame/MegaManUnlimited'' by [=MegaphilX=], ''VideoGame/MegaManTimeTangent'' by Mexican Sunflower, ''VideoGame/MegaManMaximum'' by ~hfnb2, and the Doujin game ''VideoGame/RockmenR'', which utilizes semi-16-bit graphics, ''VideoGame/MegaManRevolution'' by Fifth Independent, ''VideoGame/MegaManTripleThreat'' by Stealth and Liz-Sama, ''VideoGame/MegaGirl R'' by baragon-kun, ''VideoGame/MegaManRevengeOfTheFallen'' by Darkflamewolf, and the somewhat out of date ''VideoGame/MegaManTheCRORQChronicles'' by Jesse Brown. Also a few clone games, like ''VideoGame/MegaMari'' featuring Franchise/TouhouProject characters by Twilight Project and ''VideoGame/{{Rosenkreuzstilette}}'' by [erka:es]. |
| 172 | * FireIceLightning: A few games feature three Robot Masters with this combination, but in ''1''/''Dr. Wily's Revenge'' Elec Man, Fire Man and Ice Man are notable for being weak to each other (Elec -> Ice -> Fire). This repeats with ''Mega Man And Bass'' and its Dynamo Man, Cold Man and Burner Man, and again in ''Mega Man 11'' with Fuse Man, Tundra Man and Torch Man. |
| 173 | * FourTemperamentEnsemble: Proto Man/Blues (leukine), Rock/Mega Man (phlegmatic), Forte/Bass (sanguine/choleric), and Duo (melancholic/choleric). |
| 174 | * GameMod: There are a series of ROM hacks named ''Roll-chan'' and ''Roll-chan World'' which are reboots of the [=NES=] and Game Boy ''Mega Man'' games respectively with Roll as the main character instead of Mega Man. |
| 175 | * GoKartingWithBowser: ''Battle And Chase'' and ''Soccer'', although Wily is planning to take over the world [[SeriousBusiness via kart racing and soccer]]. |
| 176 | * HeartDrive: Mega Man takes great care of not destroying a certain part of a Robot Master, which allows their personalities to be downloaded into a replacement body an infinite number of times. |
| 177 | * TheHeavy: Every single plot in the series is set into motion by Dr. Wily -- [[VillainsActHeroesReact Mega Man and co. are just called into action immediately to foil his plans]]. The ''only'' exception to this is ''VideoGame/RockmanAndForteMiraiKaraNoChosensha'', due to Wily [[DemotedToExtra being AWOL from the game itself]], [[spoiler:but even then, he's [[GreaterScopeVillain indirectly, if unwittingly, responsible for setting off its events]] by building and then abandoning Rockman Shadow, who finds his own agenda afterward]]. |
| 178 | * HeWasRightThereAllAlong: The Robot Master room at first seems empty, but then the Robot Master falls in and does his battle stance. In the first game, however, the Robot Masters just appear on the ground out of thin air, ''II'' had them simply standing in the room with no introduction and ''6'' had theirs lowered slowly into the room while DramaticThunder occurs (and they don't make their battle stances, unlike in the other games). The non-8-bit games tend to give their Robot Masters [[DynamicEntry more personal entrances]], with ''8'' being the most elaborate. ''10'' generally has the usual 8-bit entrances, though Commando Man shakes the ground upon landing, and Nitro Man instead rides in from the left of the screen in motorcycle mode. |
| 179 | * HijackedByGanon: Wily being the ultimate bad guy you have to defeat is toyed with in the earlier games, but he makes decreasing efforts towards secrecy and eventually dispenses of all pretense; |
| 180 | ** His first attempt is in ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'', but [[AllThereInTheManual you would only know this if you read the manual]]; after his defeat in ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'', Wily had seemingly reformed and was helping Dr. Light build the peacekeeping robot Gamma. The games conflict, a batch of new robots going on the attack, turns out to be a RedHerring to buy Wily time to steal Gamma from Light to further his own plans. |
| 181 | ** His second attempt is in ''VideoGame/MegaMan4''. Before the reveal, the player assumes Dr. Cossack is the villain (Wily was seemingly killed off in ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'', and it only vaguely hints that he survived), although it turns out he was being blackmailed by Wily into fighting Mega Man in his stead. |
| 182 | ** His third attempt is in ''VideoGame/MegaMan5'', where it turns out he framed Proto Man for the chaos going on, using a robot named Dark Man to impersonate him. |
| 183 | ** His fourth attempt is in ''VideoGame/MegaMan6'', where he disguises himself as Mr. X and [[TheManBehindTheMan claims to have been Wily's mentor the whole time.]] |
| 184 | ** ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'' pulls this off again; while it seems like Wily isn't responsible for King's rampage at first, given he sends Bass to go after him, it turns out Wily was the one controlling King the whole time. |
| 185 | ** He also turns out to be the one behind the Stardroids' invasion in ''VideoGame/MegaManV'', but in an unusual change of pace for the series, he's ''not'' the final boss this time, as the game's real final boss, Sunstar, turns on him. |
| 186 | ** ''VideoGame/SuperAdventureRockman'' inverts the tradition by having the game's real villain, Ra Moon, turn on Wily. |
| 187 | ** Keeping with this series tradition, Wily also hijacks the plots in ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'', after attempting to pose as a good guy again. |
| 188 | * HoppingMachine: Each game has its variation of the big one. Some games have also smaller ones. |
| 189 | [[/folder]] |
| 190 | |
| 191 | [[folder:J-R]] |
| 192 | * LateArrivalSpoiler: Dr. Wily [[JokerImmunity surviving the ending]] of ''VideoGame/MegaMan3''. Whereas the [[VideoGame/MegaMan4 following]] [[VideoGame/MegaMan5 two games]] made it convincing that he was succeeded by Dr. Cossack and Proto Man, respectively,[[note]]The latter particularly for players that [[NintendoHard couldn't finish]] or outright skipped the former game.[[/note]] later games made his continued involvement in the series matter-of-fact. |
| 193 | * LedgeBats: A good chunk of enemies, but the standout example is probably are Up'n'Downs, Mizziles, and other similar enemies. Their sole purpose is to spawn infinitely from pits and knock Mega Man out of the air when he attempts to cross. |
| 194 | * LogicalWeakness: While not always true (and frequently tripped up by Robot Masters with more unusual abilities, like Snake Man), you can frequently figure out a boss's weakness based on their name and each weapon's name. |
| 195 | * LostInTranslation: Due to Mega Man's DubNameChange, the ThemeNaming between '''Rock'''man and '''Roll''' was lost on western audiences. ''4'' was the only game to properly write around this by always referring to Mega Man's lab assistant form as "Rock" instead of "Mega". |
| 196 | * MascotMook: Mets, due to their cutesy appearance and presence outside the classic series. To a lesser extent, the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Robot Masters]] also serve as mascots for the respective games they appear in. |
| 197 | * MascotsNameGoesUnchanged: Inverted with Mega Man, whose Japanese name is Rockman. Many other Robot Masters have their name unchanged. Two other prominent robot characters, Proto Man and Bass, are Blues and Forte in Japan. |
| 198 | * MeaningfulName: "Robot Masters", as the series bosses. In-universe, they're just that: units of advanced intellectual faculties capable of making decisions and reasoning within the boundaries of their directives who are charged with commanding the other robots of their given station of workplace. |
| 199 | * MissionPackSequel: After a while, the games add little more to the formula than new Robot Masters, weapons, and levels. This is a usual point of contention for the series. |
| 200 | * MookMaker: Quite a few enemies throughout the series, including [[VideoGame/MegaMan6 Metall Potton]] and [[VideoGame/MegaMan8 Hogale]]. |
| 201 | * MythicalMotifs: Like the animal motifs, you have Robot Masters like Centaur Man, Shade Man, Tengu Man, and Splash Woman. |
| 202 | * NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Almost all the Robot Masters are a combination of one particular theme and robotics. Special mention goes to Shadow Man (Ninja Robot), Pirate Man ({{Pirate}} Robot), and Shade Man ([[OurVampiresAreDifferent Vampire Robot]] with a legion of [[EverythingsDeaderWithZombies Zombie Robot]] mooks). |
| 203 | * NintendoHard: Widely considered to be one. |
| 204 | ** Believe it or not, however, that's only at first. After several days of playing, you will find yourself in comfort among all these piles of randomly flying robots, bottomless pits, and fast-reaction bosses (to the point where people who LP the games, most notably LetsPlay/ClementJ642, frequently make them look like cakewalks). Not to mention that the "correct GET EQUIPPED sequence" makes boss battles ''a lot'' easier. But that's only after you get with it. Otherwise, better keep calm and keep practicing. |
| 205 | ** But, if you have beaten the original series '''blindfolded''', it's time for you to try the wonders of the romhacking scene, ''Rockman Exile'' and ''VideoGame/RockmanNoConstancy''! |
| 206 | ** ''9'' and ''10'' takes this up to eleven with its achievements. How about the one for beating the game without continuing? Tough, but doable with enough patience and trial & error. How about the one for beating the game without dying? Nightmarish. But that's not all. How about clearing the game ''without taking any damage at all?'' Good luck with that one. |
| 207 | ** Quick Man's stage is ''harder'' than the ''VideoGame/IWannaBeTheGuy'' room that {{homage}}d it. |
| 208 | * NobodyCanDie: |
| 209 | ** Sure, they can show a city under attack, but [[ConvenientlyEmptyBuildings that's as far as they can get]] (or at least that's as far as they care to show the damage). ''Super Adventure Rockman'' averts this, though. |
| 210 | ** Not even the robots are ever permanently scrapped, with Mega Man [[ThouShaltNotKill doing his best to preserve their cognitive circuits]], allowing them to be rebuilt. The only notable exceptions to date are Sunstar (who died with an EarthShatteringKaboom and hasn't reappeared since), and ''possibly'' Ballade (who may or may not be a copy in his reappearances) and the Stardroids (who haven't been seen since ''V'', and were last seen on places that were quickly vaporized). |
| 211 | * NotMeThisTime: Wily has tried this in the past, most notably in ''9'' (where he claimed it was Dr. Light instead), and ''10'' (where he claimed the cause of the robot attacks was a virus). He is, of course, lying. |
| 212 | * NumberedSequels: Of course, but there was some weirdness abound. The Japanese versions all used Arabic numbers, while the English versions of the first seven (and all five Game Boy games) used Roman numerals on the title screens. The confusion came along when ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' was released for the Platform/SuperNES. English gamers were confused and thought the "X" stood for "10", thus making the game ''10'', when there had been only five numbered sequels released at the time. Even further confusion abounded when the Game Boy games were released, as they all used roman numerals. In Japan, they were called the "''Rockman World''" games, however, English releases were simply referred to by their Roman numerals. Starting with the eighth game, however, and perhaps to avoid confusion, the English releases would use Arabic numbers on their title screens as well. |
| 213 | * OminousFloatingCastle: In ''The Power Battle''. Also to a lesser extent in ''VideoGame/MegaMan8'', where the Wily Tower is suspended over a volcano's magma. |
| 214 | * PersonalityChip: While never referred to in the games themselves, supplementary material like the comics clarifies that something called an I.C. (integrated circuit) is built into every Robot Master and gives them their personality as well as the capacity to emote like a human. So long as a Robot Master's I.C. chip is intact, they can be rebuilt an unlimited number of times even if the rest of their body is destroyed. Mega Man is careful to save the I.C. chips of the Robot Masters he downs for this purpose. |
| 215 | * PlatformingPocketPal: Rush is a variant; he only comes in whenever Mega Man needs him by teleporting into the stage. A closer one would be Beat, the bird robot that flies around and follows Mega Man. |
| 216 | * PlayerTic: |
| 217 | ** When entering boss doors, most players tend to jump or slide into them for no real reason other than to see Mega Man "levitate" through the screen transition. When this was removed in ''11'', people weren't happy. |
| 218 | ** Another common tic is that people will repeatedly tap the movement button very briefly, causing Mega Man to do the first frame of his running animation before going back to standing, and resulting with some silly-looking leg twitching. [[MickeyMousing Expect them to do it to the tune of the stage theme too]]. |
| 219 | * PowerCopying: Whenever Mega Man (or sometimes other characters) defeats a Robot Master, he gets to use their abilities. |
| 220 | * PrecisionGuidedBoomerang: The Rolling Cutter, Ring Boomerang, and Magic Card. Interestingly enough, the Quick Boomerang isn't an example, as it always moves in an exact path. |
| 221 | * PunyEarthlings: Almost every alien robot seen has been considerably stronger than most robots on Earth. Notably, Duo is capable of tearing apart a robot that gave Mega Man trouble, the Stardroids were flat-out invincible until Dr. Light designed a weapon specifically to damage them, and Sunstar is armed to the teeth with powerful weapons and is capable of annihilating a moon-sized space station. |
| 222 | * PunnyName: Some of the enemies. Combined with BilingualBonus. |
| 223 | * QuirkyMinibossSquad: The Robot Masters, whom are all subservient to Dr. Wily in his scheme of the month. Punctuating this, every game has you [[BossRush battle their roster all over again]] before you can fight Wily himself. |
| 224 | * RealTimeWeaponChange: ''7'', ''8'', ''& Bass'', ''10'', and ''11''. The ''Complete Works'' series adds this to the first six games, though you still need to use the weapon menu to access items like the Magnet Beam or the Rush Marine in the first three. |
| 225 | * RecurringElement: |
| 226 | ** The same sort of enemies tend to appear in lots of games; Mets, Sniper Joes, Shield Attackers, and Gabyoalls are the most common enemy archetype. There are other scattered examples though, the most frequent ones being {{Ledge Bat|s}}-type enemies that pop out of pits[[note]][[VideoGame/MegaMan1 Bombombomb]], [[VideoGame/MegaMan4 Up n' Down]], [[VideoGame/MegaMan5 Mizzile]], [[VideoGame/MegaMan10 Furaibon]], [[VideoGame/MegaMan11 Tosanaizer V]][[/note]] and giant bulky {{Hopping Machine}}s that often appear just before a level's end. |
| 227 | ** Aside from the skull motif, Dr. Wily's castles usually have a [[http://www.themmnetwork.com/2010/05/08/the-mystery-of-wily-castles-pipe/ old-fashioned pipe chimney]] on their left side. Even when they're spaceships, as seen in ''Mega Man IV'' and ''V''. Fangame ''Mega Man Unlimited'' even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this by placing the final level icon over the pipe, then soon showing another one on the right side of the fortress. |
| 228 | * RecurringRiff: The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKgDZrTAVrM Mega Man 1 Stage Start]] riff tends to appear a lot. |
| 229 | * RecycledTitle: The English versions of the five Platform/GameBoy games were numbered, just like their [=NES=] counterparts. To differentiate them from the [=NES=] games, the fandom uses Roman numerals to refer to games in the Game Boy series (it's even done that way on Website/ThatOtherWiki!). The Japanese releases {{averted|Trope}} this by titling the Game Boy series ''Rockman World'' instead of just ''Rockman'' (''Rockman World'', ''Rockman World 2'', ''Rockman World 3'', etc.). The PC games ''Mega Man'' and ''3'' (for whatever reason that most likely defies logic, they skipped on "2") embrace this trope, but have no particular fan nicknames on grounds of never existing. |
| 230 | * RedEyesTakeWarning: Red is one of the three most common Robot Master eye colors, along with blue and green. Regular enemies and fortress bosses fall into this too, such as Sniper Joes and some of the various Devil bosses. |
| 231 | * RevengeOfTheSequel: ''Dr. Wily's Revenge'', the first Platform/GameBoy game, which has Wily send rebuilt Robot Masters from the NES versions of ''1'' and ''2'' after Mega Man. |
| 232 | * RevisitingTheRoots: ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan10''. By that time, ''Franchise/MegaMan'' games had complex storylines and complicated gameplay. These two games kept their plots simple and plays almost exactly like an extension of ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'', even keeping the Platform/{{NES}} appearance. In fact, these two games were designed by the same people who made the original ''Mega Man'' games. |
| 233 | * RunningGag: Right before you fight him in his fortress, Wily always flies off in his UFO, wiggling his eyebrows at you before he really takes off. (Averted in ''11'', where he just laughs at you.) And after you beat him, he always begs for mercy (''9'' even shows off a montage of these occurrences!). |
| 234 | [[/folder]] |
| 235 | |
| 236 | [[folder:S-Z]] |
| 237 | * SentryGun: Numerous robots in this series take a form of a simple gun which fires at the player. |
| 238 | * SequelHook: Starting with ''4'', the series went into the habit of doing this (except for ''GB/World 2'' and ''GB/World 3'', which have [[spoiler:Dr. Wily getting ''[[StuffBlowingUp blown]] [[NoOneShouldSurviveThat to smithereens]]'']]. ''6'', on the other hand, [[spoiler:ends with him captured and put in jail, even though a "ToBeContinued" is shown at the end of the credits]]). |
| 239 | * ShoutOut: |
| 240 | ** [[https://twitter.com/Kobun20/status/1634911656957362177 Inafune has acknowledged]] that Mega Man's iconic [[ArmCannon Mega Buster]] is based on the Japanese TropeCodifier, [[Manga/SpaceAdventureCobra Cobra's Psychogun]]. The Sniper Joes wield cannons with elongated barrels that in concept art for the earlier games look almost exactly like the Psychogun. |
| 241 | ** The Genesis Unit in the ''Wily Wars'', Buster Rod '''G''', [[MakingASplash Mega Water]] '''[[{{Kappa}} S]]''', and [[BlowYouAway Hyper Storm]] '''[[EverythingIsMessierWithPigs H]]''', are pretty much robot versions of Son '''G'''oku, '''S'''ha Gojyo, and Cho '''H'''akkai from ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest''. |
| 242 | ** Someone behind the music of the series is apparently a fan of Music/{{Helloween}}, because not one, but two tracks from the ''10'' OST have the same titles as Helloween songs: Future World (the intro cutscene theme) and Silent Rain (the music to the first area of the first Wily Stage). |
| 243 | ** Rush could possibly be an {{Expy}} of Friender from ''Anime/NeoHumanCasshern'', and developer notes say that Proto Man is based on mysterious characters from classic anime like [[Anime/SpeedRacer Racer X]]. ''Mega Man 2'' and ''Mega Man II'' also contain a large robot dog miniboss that breathes fire. Its name? ''Friender'' (or [[PunnyName Hot Dog]] in the English manual for ''2''). |
| 244 | ** Most likely unintentional, but the first DOS game had a Robot Master, who used explosives, named [[Series/KagakuSentaiDynaman DynaMan]]. |
| 245 | ** Besides looking like Einstein, Dr. Wily's design could've also easily taken cues from Dr. Kabuto from ''Anime/MazingerZ''. |
| 246 | * SlidingScaleOfSillinessVersusSeriousness: The games revel in both seriousness and silliness all over the place, especially with the Robot Master designs. Just look at ''10'', two of whose Robot Masters are Commando Man, a cool tank-like robot with huge guns for arms and a homing weapon, and... Sheep Man. The same can be said to Wily Castle bosses, which range from rather goofy things like dispenser machines to very mechanical ones like the Square Machine and the Boobeam Trap. |
| 247 | * TheSmurfettePrinciple: There are only ''four'' female characters to date in the series, only one of which is human (Kalinka), and only one of which appeared in more than one game (Roll). The third is Splash Woman, a mermaid-based Robot Master. The fourth one, Plum, only appears in the obscure spin-off ''Battle And Chase'', but only in the Japanese version; the scenes involving Plum were removed from the European and North American versions. |
| 248 | * SpellMyNameWithAThe: The MissionControl dialogue in ''Aniversary Collection's'' English translation of the ''[[UpdatedRerelease Complete Works]]'' games is really bad about this, especially with the earlier games. |
| 249 | * SpikesOfDoom: Insta-kill spikes are present in just about every single stage in the series. In the very first game, they even ignored MercyInvincibility, but this was arguably a glitch as it's not present in the ''Wily Wars'' rerelease. |
| 250 | * StarterGearStayingPower: Although you eventually gain a whole arsenal of weapons in each game, the Mega Buster will always serve you well and keep you from having to refuel everything. |
| 251 | * StatusQuoIsGod: In the past 22 years, the only major plot advancements have been the introductions of Proto Man and Bass (though ''10'' does hint towards the creation of the Maverick Virus with the similar Roboenza virus). |
| 252 | * StrictlyFormula: As the numbers of NES series games increased, this became obvious. Given those numbers, it was equally obvious that players liked it that way. |
| 253 | * SuperPoweredRobotMeterMaids: A number of Robot Masters were never built for combat, yet possess incredible powers that make them dangerous threats whenever Dr. Wily controls them. Sometimes [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary material]] justifies it as Wily altering them to be more combat-capable, but other cases go completely unexplained. |
| 254 | * SuperTitle64Advance: The Japanese version of ''The Wily Wars'' is called ''Rockman Mega World''. A double pun, since "Mega" is not only part of Rockman's overseas name, it is also a reference to the Mega Drive itself. |
| 255 | * ThemeNaming: Mostly musical. |
| 256 | ** For example, Rock and Roll, Bass and Treble (known as Forte and Gospel in Japan), Blues (Proto Man's Japanese name). The first four [[GaidenGame Game Boy games]] featured a "Mega Man Killer" robot, the first called Enker, derived from "Enka", a style of Japanese folk music; the second, Quint(et); the third, Punk (Rock); and the fourth, Ballade. |
| 257 | ** The name "Rockman" is also a reference to the game's "rock-paper-scissors" concept. |
| 258 | ** In the fifth Game Boy game, the Stardroids are named after the planets of the solar system, with their version of the Yellow Devil being Dark Moon and their [[DiscOneFinalBoss leader]] being called Terra (or Earth in Japan). The ancient alien superweapon that hails from the same era as them is called either Sunstar or [[PhysicalGod Sungod]] depending on the translation. |
| 259 | * {{Unobtainium}}: |
| 260 | ** Ceratanium, the metal that was used for building Mega Man's armor, Cut Man's Rolling Cutter, Metal Man's Metal Blades, and Hard Man's body. After ''3'', no mention was made of it again until ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZero Zero 4]]''. |
| 261 | ** Bassnium, a substance created accidentally by Dr. Wily, takes its place in the later series, used for building Bass, and later, [[VideoGame/MegaManX Zero]]. |
| 262 | * UnexpectedlyDarkEpisode: The classic Mega Man games were pretty lighthearted in general, but there are exceptions, such as ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'' (in which a virus causes robots to go out of control, and only Dr. Wily is capable of developing a cure), and ''VideoGame/SuperAdventureRockman'' (in which technology as a whole is endangered by an ancient alien supercomputer, and explicit scenes of death and destruction are featured). |
| 263 | * UnexpectedGameplayChange: In ''V'', you get a sidescrolling ShootEmUp segment between the fight with Terra and the Wily Star. Later done again with Tengu Man's stage and Wily Stage 2 in ''Mega Man 8''. |
| 264 | * {{Unwinnable}}: The most famous examples are the areas in Wily's factory where the Magnet Beam (an optional pickup) is required in ''1'' and the Boobeam Trap boss in ''2''. Run out of weapon energy (or, in the Magnet Beam's case, fail to get the device), and you might as well just commit suicide to get a GameOver. |
| 265 | * UpdatedRerelease: |
| 266 | ** In Japan, Europe, and for a short time on the short-lived Sega Channel in North America, there was ''Mega Man: The Wily Wars'' for the Sega Genesis, which brings the first 3 NES games with updated 16-bit presentation, battery back-up saves, the ability to save your progress, and a new extra mode upon clearing all three games. |
| 267 | ** The ''Rockman Complete Works'' for the [=PlayStation=] is a series of updated ports of the first NES games, which brings not only the original versions of these games, but also a new Navi Mode which adds new content and enhancements, memory saves as well as password support, and a database featuring enemies and characters from their respective game. Sadly, it was never released outside of Japan, and when it did in 2011 though [=PlayStation=] Network, only the first four games saw an international release, without even a translation for other countries. |
| 268 | * VictoryFakeout: |
| 269 | ** Four of the games lead you to believe that there's one less Wily Castle stage than there actually are (one of them in particular takes this up to eleven). Said games are [[spoiler:''2'', ''3'', ''4'', and ''10'', with the last being the one that's [[OverlyLongGag most extreme]]]]. |
| 270 | ** In the fourth Game Boy ''Mega Man'' game, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWkHvCR_lns the final boss]] does this not once, but ''twice''! At least he's generous enough to let the victory fanfare play out in its entirety both times. |
| 271 | ** Averted in [[spoiler:''Mega Man V'']]. After beating [[spoiler:[[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere Sunstar]]]] and watching the credits, [[spoiler:Wily suddenly comes back and looks like he's ready for one last bout, but his heavily damaged Wily UFO falls apart and dumps him onto the ground, causing him to do his usual beg routine and flee]]. |
| 272 | * VideoGameSliding: Starting with ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'', the ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' games have had a slide move, used mostly for dodging, getting through tight spaces, or speedrunning. While the Blue Bomber generally can't use the slide to attack enemies, ''VideoGame/MegaMan5'''s Charge Kick ''requires'' Mega Man to slide in order to use the weapon -- the only weapon in series history to do so. |
| 273 | * WalkDontSwim: In most cases, since Mega Man is a robot made of very dense metal. He actually can swim in ''Mega Man 8'' as well as in the DOS ''Mega Man 3''. |
| 274 | * YearX: The series initially took place in the year(s) 200X, but by around ''3'' it changes to 20XX. |
| 275 | * YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: |
| 276 | ** There's two castles in three of the NES games, those being [[spoiler:''4'', ''5'', and ''6'']]. |
| 277 | ** In the Platform/GameBoy games, Wily often flees to a second fortress, usually located in space. |
| 278 | ** ''The Wily Wars'' has a game compilation approach on this trope; as soon as you clear the remakes of ''1-3'', the "Wily Tower" subgame is unlocked on the game select. |
| 279 | [[/folder]] |
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